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Sweden, where restrictions on slowing down the new type of coronavirus are more lenient than in other European countries, admits today that it has been unable to protect its elderly. Of the approximately 3,200 deaths recorded in Sweden since the start of the epidemic, almost half occurred in nursing homes, AFP reported Sunday, cited by Agerpres.
In recent weeks, the local media have returned to working conditions in nursing homes affected by the shortage of means of protection. Affected to such an extent that some preferred to stop working and others registered a serious shortage of personnel. According to some testimonies, some older people were also contaminated during their hospitalization for other treatments, and then they were sent to nursing homes where they spread the virus.
Sweden has said it has prioritized the protection of people over the age of 70, but as of April 28, 90% of coronavirus victims in the country were at least 70 years old.
“We have not been able to protect our elders … It is a failure for our entire society. We have to learn from this, this pandemic is not yet over,” Minister of Health and Social Affairs Lena Hallengren told the Swedish public television.
In the face of the health crisis, Sweden has kept schools, cafes and restaurants open. The authorities urge citizens to take responsibility and follow the recommendations of the health authorities.. Like neighboring Nordic countries, Sweden banned nursing home visits in late March, but recorded far more deaths here.
Unlike in Finland or Norway, nursing homes in Sweden are often huge complexes with hundreds of residents, many of whom have health problems and are addicts. They are a “very vulnerable group,” according to Henrik Lysell of the Health and Social Welfare Council. In the Stockholm region, the epicenter of the virus in Sweden, so far 55% of nursing homes have reported cases of COVID-19, according to local health authorities.
The main Swedish municipal workers union, Kommunal, denounces the precarious working conditions. According to the organization, in March about 40% of staff in nursing homes in Stockholm were unskilled workers, employees on short-term contracts and paid by the hour, and 23% were temporary.
Publisher: A. D.
